Automatic Goat door or Doggy door (FINISHED)

Augie

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Can anyone point me in a direction for a automatic goat door big enough for a Boer goat? I can't seem to find any. We had our first lost the other week due to a Mountain Lion since we can't get LGDs I'm building them a little house and I'm looking for a door that will open at a certain time in the morning. Any info will help. BTW i live in CA so i cant kill it. What else do you guys' recommend for prevention? Will a doggy door for the goats be enough protection instead of a automatic door?
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Augie

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Wow... so many kinds of scary.

If it is hungry enough, I think it might hunt during the day...

So I am not sure a door would help....

But maybe some quality super high voltage electric fence....
We are in the foothills of the city this photo was less that 100 yards from the neighbors. It jumped a 6ft chain-link with a strand of hot wire & a premier 42in electric netting and then jumped back out with the kid in mouth.
 

thistlebloom

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They make hog traps with auto closing "guillotine " style drop gates. It starts getting expensive though. Goats being goats I don't think a dog style auto door would be tough enough. I linked a page to give you an idea of the way they are made. Maybe you are handy and can build a similar one, or have a handy friend.
You are in a tough position to be able to have the livestock you want.
I'm real sorry you lost a kid.
 

Alaskan

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We are in the foothills of the city this photo was less that 100 yards from the neighbors. It jumped a 6ft chain-link with a strand of hot wire & a premier 42in electric netting and then jumped back out with the kid in mouth.
Oh wow! 6 ft with hotwire on top??

Then I have no idea how you would keep it out...unless you decided to put a fence over the top of the goat pen...

No idea how big your goat pen is....

I found a free roll of concrete reinforcing wire... pretty stiff stuff... it would keep out a mountain lion...

But I only had to use it as the top for my chicken and duck yards....
 

Augie

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Oh wow! 6 ft with hotwire on top??

Then I have no idea how you would keep it out...unless you decided to put a fence over the top of the goat pen...

No idea how big your goat pen is....

I found a free roll of concrete reinforcing wire... pretty stiff stuff... it would keep out a mountain lion...

But I only had to use it as the top for my chicken and duck yards....
Its about a acre. I think the best idea is to build this house. So far it looks really good I got a winch for the door and everything only downside is that I used 8x8 base thinking 64sqft would be enough from 4 Boer goats but now that I see it and with a buck in the herd and kidding and everything I might add another 8x8 to make the preexisting one longer.
 

Augie

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They make hog traps with auto closing "guillotine " style drop gates. It starts getting expensive though. Goats being goats I don't think a dog style auto door would be tough enough. I linked a page to give you an idea of the way they are made. Maybe you are handy and can build a similar one, or have a handy friend.
You are in a tough position to be able to have the livestock you want.
I'm real sorry you lost a kid.
It would be one of those doors that lift up and down on guides.
 

Finnie

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with a buck in the herd and kidding and everything I might add another 8x8 to make the preexisting one longer.
With a buck in the herd now, won’t you need to make a separate house for him so he doesn’t breed the doelings after they are born? Or are you planning to sell him once your current does are bred?
 

Ridgetop

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The mountain lion will figure out the trap door pretty quick. Think big kitty and look on line at all the cute videos of house cats learning to open doorknobs, etc. This big kitty will be able to figure out how to get its claws around the door edge and pull it open. That cougar looks pretty large so might be able to tear open the shed if hungry enough.

We are also in California (southern half) and the cougars no longer have any fear of humans. They have been protected for a long time, and they have cleaned out a lot of the deer in the foothills. Now they are moving closer in to town where the pickings are easier - cats, dogs, and pets. Your best protection is definitely an LDG although if you have persistent cougar problems you will need several. Be very careful about going out to the goat pasture/house at night in the dark. Cougars will attack humans, no matter what Peta says.

This cat going over a 6' fence with a hot wire on top is not uncommon. They can jump 10' or more, carrying game into trees. Your best bet is to build your super strong goat house and then put hot wires in rows around it on standoffs. Barb wire too. At night once the goats are locked inside, electrify the exterior of the goat house. This will keep the cougar from tearing it apart to get at the goats. You will not be able to have an automatic door that will open on a timer since the cat will figure out how to get it open. But you could put the electric hot wire on a timer.

I just don't see how you will be able to arrange for the goats to be let out automatically without you in the am. The cougar will eventually learn the times the door will allow the goats out and it will be waiting during the early morning or late afternoon. How do you plan to guard the goats during the day while they are out foraging on your acre pasture?
 
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